Edinburgh dad detained in Dubai over apparent counterfeit money mix-up

An Edinburgh man is facing up to a year in jail in the United Arab Emirates after an apparent mix-up over counterfeit money.

Billy Barclay was stopped at Dubai International Airport in September after an incident in 2016 when he tried to exchange cash at the Al Hamra Mall in Ras Al Khaimah.

He was accused of being in possession of a counterfeit £20 and was questioned by detectives for 12 hours before being told no charges would be brought and was allowed to continue his family holiday.

Despite his ordeal Mr Barclay, a plasterer by trade, his wife Monique and two children returned to the country on September 15 this year and he was stopped at the airport.

Authorities arrested him for possessing counterfeit money and he was taken from his family and questioned by Ras Al Khaimah police for three days.

He has since been released but his passport has been confiscated and he is staying in a £120-a-night hotel awaiting the outcome of the case against him.

Mr Barclay could face up to a year in jail in the UAE, a £1000 fine and deportation back to the UK.

His family have no idea where the fake £20 note came from and believe it could have been given in change. They have since returned to Fernieside in the capital, but Mr Barclay is unable to leave until his case has been dealt with.

Radha Stirling, chief executive of British non-governmental organisation Detained In Dubai, which is representing the family said: Clearly in this case, Mr Barclay received a counterfeit note that was already in circulation and is himself a victim.

Charging him over a fake note he received and passed unknowingly is not an effective way to deal with the problem of counterfeiting and it once again highlights the risks visitors to the UAE face from the country's legal system.

He was detained for three days, moved from one facility to another in shackles, and though he is now out on bail, his passport has been confiscated and he is stuck in the UAE indefinitely.

We hope that the charges will ultimately be dropped, but in the meantime, Mr Barclay is in a very difficult situation.''